An interview with Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice comes to the Albany Monday 21st of November at 7:30pm. This well loved classic is newly adapted by Joannah Tincey for the stage and has recived the highest of praise by audiences and press from all over the UK after it's tour. The play is performed by just 2 actors; Joannah Tincey and Nick Underwood who bring Austen's powerful words to life in a unique and dazzling way.

“Simply the most entertaining and intellectually stimulating evening I have spent in the theatre this year” - The Hexham Courant

An interview with Abigail Anderson the Director of Pride and Prejudice...

What was the inspiration for this performance?
I’d been doing a lot of work as an actor on various multi-role style productions – including some Shakespeare and Dickens. Each time I was involved in one, it struck me how clear the language becomes when actors use it to define the character they are playing for an audience. I have always loved Austen’s wonderful language and wit and it occurred to me that here was a way to bring it to life theatrically – with the characters using Austen’s prose to build a relationship with the audience (and her sparkling dialogue to relate to eachother). Pride and Prejudice is such a wonderful story and there are so many double-acts within it: Jane and Lizzy, Darcy and Lizzy, Mr and Mrs Bennet, Lydia and Kitty, Bingley and Darcy, etc. There was a great symmetry to having two actors play all of these.

Is theatre still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?
Absolutely, it’s a public space for all sorts of things. Story, emotion, ideas, creativity, connection, compassion, change. You name it.

How did you become interested in making performance?
Amusing myself as an only child with all the people, stories and play that I had going on in my head…then, as I grew up, realising there might be a way to keep doing that and start amusing other people too.

Was your process typical of the way that you make a performance?
This was the first production we created as Two Bit Classics, so we don’t have a typical reference point in that respect. As an actor, every show you work on is different and has its own challenges and rewards. Acting in one you’ve written, acting with your spouse, that’s pretty unique! I’m immensely proud of the work we’re doing.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?
We want them to go away having actively experienced the story. Having heard and felt the brilliance of Austen’s writing in a way that is really immersive.

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
The audience are a part of the show, it’s their imagination and response to our story-telling that brings the show alive. All the words we say, Austen wrote herself. We’ve not had to invent any dialogue. Each night we tell the story to a different audience and our job is to grow that relationship with them. It’s a really immediate and exciting way to work.